Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoplay’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yoplay’, characterized by its upright cut  Chrysanthemum  that is usually grown as a natural spray; dark green-colored foliage; freely flowering habit; uniform inflorescence form and development; large daisy-type inflorescences; light purple-colored ray florets; response time about 9.5 weeks; strong peduncles; and good postproduction longevity.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yoplay’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yoplay’.

The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Salinas, Calif. and Alva, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new cut Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable colors and good inflorescence form and substance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in December, 2000, in Salinas, Calif., of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Sound, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,201, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrsysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Cumbia, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,133, as the male, or pollen, parent.

The cultivar Yoplay was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla., in March, 2002. The selection of this plant was based on its desirable inflorescence color and good inflorescence form and substance.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. since May, 2002, has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yoplay have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yoplay’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yoplay’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Upright cut Chrysanthemum that is usually grown as a natural         spray.     -   2. Dark green-colored foliage.     -   3. Freely flowering habit, about seven inflorescences per         flowering stem.     -   4. Uniform inflorescence form and development.     -   5. Large daisy-type inflorescences that are about 9.25 cm in         diameter.     -   6. Attractive purple-colored ray florets.     -   7. Response time about 9.5 weeks.     -   8. Strong peduncles.     -   9. Good postproduction longevity with inflorescences and foliage         maintaining good substance and color for about 17 days in an         interior environment.

Compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Sound, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have longer flowering stems, slightly smaller inflorescences, longer peduncles and darker-colored ray florets.

Compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar Cumbia, plants of the new Chrysanthemum have more uniform inflorescences, have longer peduncles and flower earlier.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Volare, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,058. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Volare in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had longer flowering stems         than plants of the cultivar Volare.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had a more upright spray         formation than plants of the cultivar Volare.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more freely flowering         than plants of the cultivar Volare.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Volare.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photographs on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering stem of ‘Yoplay’ grown as a natural spray.

The photograph on the second sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yoplay’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Salinas, Calif., under conditions which approximate commercial practice in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse. Two-week old rooted cuttings were planted on Nov. 3, 2004 and received four weeks of long day/short nights followed by short day/long nights until flowering. Plants were grown as single-stem natural spray cut Chrysanthemums. During the production time, the following environmental conditions were measured: day temperatures, 24 to 27° C.; night temperatures, 10 to 16° C.; and light levels, 2,000 to 4,000 foot-candles. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for six to ten typical flowering stems and were taken about ten weeks after the start of short days.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoplay. -   Commercial classification: Daisy-type cut Chrysanthemum. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Sound, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,021.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Cumbia, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,113. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.         -   Time to rooting.—About 10 to 14 days with soil temperatures             of 18 to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous daisy-type cut flower that is             typically grown as a natural spray.         -   Flowering stem description.—Aspect: Erect. Length: About             130 cm. Spray diameter: About 17 cm. Stem diameter: About             1.1 cm. Internode length: About 3.5 cm. Texture: Pubescent;             longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate. Length: About             5.75 cm. Width: About 4.5 cm. Apex: Cuspidate. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed; sinuses parallel to             divergent. Texture: Upper and lower surfaces, pubescent and             leathery; veins prominent on lower surface. Color:             Developing and fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close             to 147A. Developing and fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to             147A. Venation, lower surface: Close to 146A. Petiole:             Length: About 2.1 cm. Diameter: About 3 mm. Texture, upper             and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper and lower             surfaces: 146A to 146B. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with elongated             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences borne on             terminals, arising from leaf axils. Disc ray florets develop             acropetally on a capitulum.         -   Flowering response.—Under natural conditions, plant flower             in the autumn/winter in the Northern Hemisphere. At other             times of the year, inflorescence initiation and development             can be induced under short day/long night conditions (at             least 13.5 hours of darkness). Plants exposed to three to             four weeks of long day/short night conditions after planting             followed by photoinductive short day/long night conditions             flower about 9.5 -weeks later when grown as a natural spray.             Inflorescences uniform in form and development.         -   Postproduction longevity.—In an interior environment,             inflorescences and foliage will maintain good color and             substance for about 17 days in an interior environment.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit, about             seven inflorescences per stem develop.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; sweet.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: Large, about 9.25 cm. Depth             (height): About 2.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 2.4 cm.             Receptacle diameter: About: 1 cm. Receptacle height: About             1.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Height: About 7 mm. Diameter: About             8.5 mm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 146A to 147A.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated oblong. Length: About 4.7 cm.             Width: About 1.3 cm. Corolla tube length: About 9 mm. Apex:             Mostly mamillate. Base: Fused. Texture: Smooth, glabrous;             satiny; longitudinally ridged. Aspect: Initially upright;             when mature, mostly straight and perpendicular to the             peduncle. Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 26             in one to two whorls. Color: When opening and fully opened,             upper surface: Ground color, 155D, overlain with 77A. When             opening and fully opened, lower surface: Ground color, 155D,             faintly underlain with 77A.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Length: About 9 mm.             Width, apex: About 2.5 mm. Width, base: About 2 mm. Number             of disc florets per inflorescence: About 196. Color:             Immature: Close to 144A. Mature: Apex: Close to 9A.             Mid-section: Close to 154D. Base: Close to 155D.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 24 in about             one to two whorls. Length: About 1.2 cm. Width: About 5 mm.             Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 146A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 146A to 147A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: First peduncle: About 14 cm. Fourth             peducle: About 18.75 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Angle:             About 35 to 40° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 146A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Anther length: Less than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to             12A. Amount of pollen: None observed. Gynoecium: Present on             both ray and disc florets. Style length: About 5 mm. Style             color: Close to 154A. Stigma color: Close to 9A.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated good tolerance to low temperatures of 7° C. and high     temperatures of 38 ° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yoplay’, as illustrated and described. 